Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - "2-15/New Partner" accompanied by Cynthia Hopkins. Directed by Lance Bangs, audio recording by Dan Roorda, filmed with Braden King, Shawn Kim. Coordinated by Morgan Lebus.
I was there! This was at KeySpan Park - Coney Island, Brooklyn on 22 and 23 August 2003. What an amazing show. Sigur Rós followed, with Björk headlining. What a magical show and night.
For all those who do not know the first half of this song is a cover of a song called '2/15' by Marquis De Tren on which Will sings and the lyrics are lifted from the epic poem 'Gitanjali' by the amazing Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore (the 2nd and 15th verses of the poem make up the lyrics of the song, hence the title 2/15) and the second half ("There's a black tinted sunset...) is a cover of the song New Partner by Palace, Will's former project.
2 When thou commandest me to sing it seems that my heart would break with pride; and I look to thy face, and tears come to my eyes. All that is harsh and dissonant in my life melts into one sweet harmony - and my adoration spreads wings like a glad bird on its flight across the sea. I know thou takest pleasure in my singing. I know that only as a singer I come before thy presence. I touch by the edge of the far-spreading wing of my song thy feet which I could never aspire to reach. Drunk with the joy of singing I forget myself and call thee friend who art my lord. 15 I am here to sing thee songs. In this hall of thine I have a corner seat. In thy world I have no work to do; my useless life can only break out in tunes without a purpose. When the hour strikes for thy silent worship at the dark temple of midnight, command me, my master, to stand before thee to sing. When in the morning air the golden harp is tuned, honour me, commanding my presence.
Honestly one of the most beautiful performances ever recorded. I first heard this a year ago and I've come back almost every day since. The stunning lyrics, the deadpan expressions and that raw, unfussy voice. Just wonderful!
Found this video again....it's been years since I listened to this laying on my blow up couch with my $50 Craigslist guitar trying to learn these chords. Back when I was a more emotionally fragile 19 year old finding passion in music for the first time...years later I now have a real couch and a job and life is more predictable but this video still breaks my heart in the best way
This is the one of the most beautiful performances I've ever seen. I've watched it a thousand times, I bet. His voice is more familiar in my head than my own father's, which is weirder than shit.
I transcribed the song's lyrics: When you ask me to sing, it feels like my heart would burst with pride And I look at your face, and tears come to my eyes. And all that's harsh and wrong, in my life melts into one sweet song and my love spreads wings like a glad bird, flying over the road. Well I know you take pleasure in my singing And I know that only when I sing do you hear me Cause then I touch things I can't touch I touch parts of you that I can't really touch And then drunk with this joy of singing I forget myself, and call you my friend. Lalalalala lalalalalalalalala I'm here we're here to sing you songs In this field we have this corner spot In your world we have no real work to do Our life is just to sit here and sing these songs, that have no purpose And there's a black tinted sunset the prettiest of skies Layback Layback rest your head on my thighs There is some awful action that breathes from my hand It's just breaths from a deed so exquisitely grand And you were always, on my mind And you were always, on my mind And you were always, on my mind And you were always, on my mind Well I would not have moved, if I knew you were here It's some special action with motives unclear Now you'll haunt me until I have payed for what I have done It's a payment which precludes the having of fun And you were always, on my mind And you were always, on my mind And you were always, on my mind And you were always, on my mind But ho, ho I've got a new partner riding with me, Yes I've got a new partner now. Now the sun's fading faster We're ready to go And There's a skirt in the bedroom that's pleasantly low And the loons on the moor are the fish in the flow And my friends my friends they still whisper hello We all know what we know it's a hard swath to mow when you think like a hermit and forget what you know! And you were always, on my mind And you were always, on my mind And you were always, on my mind And you were always, on my mind But ho ho, I've got a new partner riding with me Yes I've got a new partner riding with me Well I've got a new partner now
New Partner will always be a classic. Still blowing peoples minds by introducing them to Wil’s music. He truly is one of the best songwriters of the past 30’s and arguably ever.
I play this to the customers in the bookshop I work at sometimes. Usually everyone just goes all smiley and chill but every once in a while someone asks me who's singing. Always a good day when you've given someone the introduction. :)
This music is something only i get to understand, I feel like you need to be a weirdo to enjoy it, I just can't find a way to show this to my friends and they burst into tears.
I got to actually meet Lance Bangs about a month ago and tell him how much I love and appreciate this video. He told me they actually shot a full concert, but this is the only thing that's surfaced. I'd love to see the full thing, but if this is all we get, that's fine. A massively beautiful clip.
so beautiful. for everyone asking how to play this song, his guitar is tuned to D standard. so if you put the capo at the fourth fret it will be wrong unless you are tuned down a whole step. to play it in standard tuning, put the capo on the 2nd fret and place C/Em/F for most of the song. there is a couple parts where he just switches from c to f and leaves the Em out. just watch the video to see☺
i do it for several reasons. principally or at least in my case, the reason i started doing it, is that it makes it very easy to communicate with trumpet players. without a capo, my "C" is their "C." secondly, it allows the guitar to feel pretty natural with flatwound 12 or 13 guage strings. i know outside of shreddy metal guys, it's not so common to "drop" tune or whatever, but there are plenty of reasons to try it out in earthy or honest music. it makes an electric guitar that reacts and feels very much like a parlor guitar but instead of a top choking out under harder hits, the amp is reacting to those harder dynamics. it's much more enjoyable to play than an acoustic electric in a live context. flat-top acoustic-electrics, even with the nicest possible pickups and preamps and mics, need so much fliffing and flaffing in post that it never sounds natural. i'm sure other folks have their own reasons for it, but those are my reasons.
I always get the feeling he forgets that he's playing guitar. It seems so effortless and beautiful it's like he's using his own fake book or something because I've never heard him hit a sour patch or stray too far from that home he has detailed and decorated for decades. He is a masterful writer and even his simplest ideas turn out pretty grand in their depth once you hear the inspiration. Blueberry Jam is the song this man wrote when faced with death by ballistic missile impact. Okeh!
@@jasonfifi G Bm C in standard tuning works for me - can get that barnyard choke in my voice. Altho most of the time (a good friends funeral once) acapella. I met Will once in 1996 in Port Chalmers NZ - he was staying with Brian and Mary Rose Crook.
I used to listen to The Palace Brothers album years ago (I think it was called There is no one what will take care of me or something like that). I bought it in a record store in about 1993/ 94. I loved that album, I used to listen to it all the time. I am English so it wasn't well known at all here. I have never met anybody that has heard of them. I always thought he didn't really have a good singing voice but watching this I realise how wrong I was. That is assuming that this IS the guy that sang on the at album. Much respect.
how does one aquire a light blue jump suit .. with a hoodie... plays at a baseball field... and quotes poetry?.... and sings like an angel... in the late afternoon? how.
A friend, Joshua, recommended this a few months ago. I've listened to it a few times everyday and everytime, I cry because it's so beautiful, pure, full of emotion, uplifting. Great voice, uses his voice so well. I can't listen to it only once. Thanks Joshua for adding this beauty to my life. Deb.
in asheville years ago. she met me at your show. she sent the message. my kat. i left your show and the bouncer said we should both come in. last dance, we didn't move. just held hands and cried. fuck i loved her.
Kenneth Myers I have loved like that. A girl called Tate. Our romance spanned 25 years then blossomed and again died. I miss no human more. She showed me this.
i met him in 2007 in hamburg, germany. hes a very friendly and down to earth bloke who took all the time in world to chat to me and my son. sort of made our day !!!
This reminds me of those brunch meals where you have like say some slow cooked cheese grits and a buttery biscuit that you really are trying not to devour out right so you keep coming back to taste it and then going to the kimchi collard greens and back around to the korean short rib. I am trying not to devour this song but its been on triple repeat for about 8 years now.
